To wonder why my sexuality is important for a sports club?

[Whydoyouneedtoknow]

I'm about to join a sports club, to register with the governing body I have to answer some questions,
Do you have a disability
Ethnicity and
'which of the following best describes yourself '

Asexual
Bisexual
Gay or lesbian woman
Gay man
Heterosexual
Other
Prefer not to say
Unsure

Why does this matter, they don't ask my religion or my favourite drink, why is this question needed?

The barriers to accessing sport if can be linked with additional needs, but people with additional needs often, quite rightly, do not consider themselves to be disabled.

How can who they find attractive be a relevant question?

This has been going on for decades in various ways.

You really don't know? I find that difficult to believe

Fairly obviously it is to monitor they are reaching all demographics. I do not see a problem as you can tick prefer not to say ifthe question offends you

These questions are usually optional. Monitoring of protected characteristics is quite common.

You get asked it on loads of forms I've noticed. I always tick prefer not to say...in fact, whatever the question, if there's a prefer not to say option, I tick that

It’s so they can monitor the diversity of the club. It helps them to assess whether they are offering an inclusive space where people of all sexualities feel welcome.

If you don’t want to say, that option exists for you.

It's irrelevant.
Sport clubs should be asking "do you take performance enhancing drugs" but they don't. They're more interested in who you fancy.

@Gncq

It's irrelevant. Sport clubs should be asking "do you take performance enhancing drugs" but they don't. They're more interested in who you fancy.

Cos people cheating are going to be truthful 🙄

They don't care who you fancy, as has been said, it's a diversity and inclusion question.

I have never seen it as one of three main questions, I have also just checked the other clubs I am signed up for, they haven't asked.

Societies have to only keep relevant information to comply with GDPR, often there is supplementary diversity forms for monitoring that are not linked to your application, this I have no problem with.

@Gorl

It’s so they can monitor the diversity of the club. It helps them to assess whether they are offering an inclusive space where people of all sexualities feel welcome.

If you don’t want to say, that option exists for you.

But it is linked directly to my membership. This is not relevant information.

It's maybe just a badly designed form then if it's linked to the membership application rather than a separate diversity questionnaire.

Maybe give them a call and ask about it, if they aren't questioned then they won't change it.

YANBU in this particular scenario (I understand for other groups or workplaces why data monitoring is important). I'd just circle prefer not to say as I don't see how it's anyone's business.

I fail to see why a recent sports massage form contained;

"Please state your marital status"

As one of the only questions on the form. Asking hobbies, activity levels, even hours of phone or computer usage would have been more relevant than them needing to know if someone was single/married/divorced/living with someone/widowed/taken holy orders etc.

I highly doubt my shoulder injury has anything to do with my marital status.

Diversity monitoring is really important, to make sure they are providing a service that feels accessible to a wide range of people.

If a club had 100 members and all of them were heterosexual, that doesn't follow the number of LGB people expected in society (I think 10%, although my figure could be out of date), it could mean they need to look at whether gay people are actively excluded upon joining, whether they need to change their advertising, what else could be causing that (possibly nothing, could just be the demographics of the area) etc.

As a lesbian, if I'm ever filling out a form and there isn't a question about sexual orientation in that section, I always feed that back to the organisation because I want to know that they are monitoring inclusion. If you don't want to answer, you are well within your rights to tick "prefer not to say" to any of those questions.

OuiOuiBonjour

I fail to see as well.

I'd rather not be asked as part of my membership than prefer not to say. (I don't mind as a optional non linked question)

Missing the point here, but I just love the inclusion of the asexuals!!

But do you want your membership to say cheesbadge Lesbian or just have an organisation that knows 10% are lesbians?

@araiwa

This has been going on for decades in various ways.

You really don't know? I find that difficult to believe

There has to be a specific reason for collecting any data. GDPR is quite specific on that. So, unless the club gets funding for hitting a 'gay quota' there is no reason to collect such data.

@whydoyouneedtoknow ask them. Ask them for the GDPR compliant reason they are collecting that specific data.

Ask them for the GDPR compliant reason they are collecting that specific data.
They could say they need it to provide adequate changing room facilities.

@GladAllOver

Ask them for the GDPR compliant reason they are collecting that specific data. They could say they need it to provide adequate changing room facilities.

Your sexuality doesn't affect that.

@GladAllOver

Ask them for the GDPR compliant reason they are collecting that specific data. They could say they need it to provide adequate changing room facilities.

So a different changing facility for every orientation?

curious I will.

Yabu not to realise that they are monitoring the demographics they reach, and have been pressured by lobby groups into including this question, but yanbu to be uncomfortable with the question and to feel sad that it’s there.

I’m fed up with people’s sexual preferences being made into some kind of public/political statement. Like when Jameela Jamil had to publicly come out as queer in her sexual preferences to justify accepting a job. Sex is private. I have zero interest in what other people do with their partners and I don’t expect people to have interest in my love life either. What next? ‘Tick here if you prefer reverse cowgirl to the missionary position?’ ‘Do you enjoy handcuffs, we want to ensure we’ve reached out to the BDSM community?’

Just no.

Tick here if you prefer reverse cowgirl to the missionary position?’ ‘Do you enjoy handcuffs, we want to ensure we’ve reached out to the BDSM community?

.

Why does this matter, they don't ask my religion or my favourite drink, why is this question needed?

If they are asking about disability, sexuality and ethnicity they should be asking about religion.

I've never been asked those questions when joining a sports club but as most sports clubs are charities it isn't uncommon to get an email/message asking people who identify if they are in specific groups to say so if they are trying to get funding/a benefit from a council or national body.

Generally though the ones I do and have belonged to go out of their way to get more diverse members by targeting children in local schools of all types, local students and workplaces.

they can ask you don’t have to answer. Usually these questions are asked to help better protect marginalised groups. If you collect data you can implement change to help.

Red you are right, in fact religion may be more important, maybe I would not be available for matches on the Sabbath, or may need an area to pray.

It's a great wide selection, but possibly of low relevance maybe the organisation is monitoring its self for inclusion or, more likely, assessing their demographic for marketing purposes.